John Burke was an Irish genealogist who first published his work A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the United Kingdom, in 1826. This work was corrected, augmented, and improved in a number of editions up to the year 1847, when it became an annual publication.

In parallel with this he also developed A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, which was first published in four volumes between 1833 and 1838. The title of this publication was later changed to become A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland.

The common names for these two publications have, over the years, become Burke's Peerage and Burke's Landed Gentry.

After the death of John Burke, in 1848, his work was continued by his son John Bernard Burke, who was appointed Ulster King of Arms in 1853, and his two sons Ashworth Peter Burke and Henry Farnham Burke, who both also became Officers of Arms.

John Debrett was a bookseller, publisher and compiler. Having completed an apprenticeship he moved to work for a bookseller and stationer called John Almon, in 1780. John Almon published a volume entitled "The New Peerage" in 1769 and, following the publication of a few further editions, passed on the editorship to John Debrett. In 1802 John Debrett published "The Correct Peerage of England, Scotland and Ireland" in two volumes, and in 1808 "The Baronetage of England", both under his own name. Over time, these publications evolved into "Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage and Companionage". Debrett retired from his business in 1814 and died in 1822, although the business continues under his name to the present day.

Charles Dodd was an Irish journalist and writer, who for many years worked with The Times. Amongst his other works he wrote "The Parliamentary Pocket Companion", published in 1832, and later, in 1841, "The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland". The latter became an annual edition. In his later years he reverted to the original spelling of his surname, Dod. His son, Robert Phipps Dod, assisted his father, and took over the management in 1843.

Heralds' Visitations contain pedigree charts, and in many cases coats of arms, of families documented when the Heralds visited each county, from the early 16th century to the late 17th century.

The Heralds were responsible for ensuring that people claiming or using coats of arms were entitled to do so, through either being granted their own arms or being directly descended in the male line from an ancestor to whom they had been granted.

These books contain some of the earliest documented pedigrees, and have been largely published by The Harleian Society (and others) since the late 19th century.

Parish registers originally commenced in 1538 when Thomas Cromwell first ordered that in every parish, in England and Wales, a list must be kept recording all baptisms, burials and marriages. Initially, these records were kept on loose leaves but the rules were later tightened by James I ordering the records to be kept in parchment books. His order stated that all previous entries, back to at least the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth in 1558, must be transcribed into the new books. Unfortunately, many parish clerks only did as instructed and the 20 or so years previous to 1558 were lost when the originals were destroyed.

William Phillimore Watts Stiff was born in Nottingham on 27th October, 1853, the son of Dr. William Phillimore Stiff, M.B., and his wife Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin Watts of Brigden Hall, Salop. He assumed the surname of Phillimore with his father in 1873, to commemorate his descent from the Phillimore's of Cam in Gloucestershire, where the family had resided since the 16th century. For most of his life he devoted himself to the study of genealogy and was a prolific publisher and editor, founding the publishing business of Phillimore & co. in 1897. He was responsible for the publication of over 200 volumes of Marriage register transcripts.